So yesterday morning, I get up, jump on my computer to see the Oscar dresses and here’s what I feel: Nothing.

I would have loved to do a little funny piece à la Fug Girls on the looks that totally worked and those which fell short, but not only am I not the Fashion Police, but really, I just don’t understand the whole long dress thing.

I guess it just seems like most of the time, the Oscars are the antithesis of cool.

It’s as if the concept of cool disappears as soon as a red carpet rolls out.
It’s like cool is completely paralyzed by all the camera flashes and Joan Rivers, hiding behind pounds of paint, super complicated draping, and the monotony of the obligatory mix of peep toe / long dress. And glittery body powder.

That said, I love glamour ! And I know you can be glamorous AND cool at the same time. There are a few girls that prove it. Not tons though, ha. Don’t get carried away.

Diane Kruger is almost always perfect. Gwyneth Paltrow and even Sarah Jessica Parker, most of the time, I like what they have going on. Oh, and of course, the best is ALWAYS Cate Blanchett, my idol. Even when she’s falling on her face, it’s a beautiful fall.

But me, it’s like I can’t really put my finger on what I like and don’t. Let’s take a few actresses that I love and we’ll take a look at their Oscar outfits from Sunday…

Natalie Portman – The polka dots weren’t doing it for me… Oh yeah! And a looot of hair and big jewelry right?

Gwyneth Paltrow – Tom Ford made an exception to his rule of not dressing movie stars. Well, I’d make an exception too for Gwyneth. I still can’t decide if the cape was genius or terrible. I just know that Gwyneth always has the same air of comfort in a cocktail dress that she has in her yoga pants. And nothing is more sublime than that.

Michelle Williams – Cute! I would’ve ditched the clutch as too often you get the impression that a clutch is like a best friend to cling to. I think the short hair always helps to coolify a long dress as hairstyles on the red carpet are always so heavy and perfect they give me a headache.
I would have gotten rid of the little bow on the dress as well cause too much cuteness kills cuteness. But I like the necklace.

Jessica Chastain - Not a fan of the gold & black & red. Of course red ! You have to think of it : the red carpet is an integral part of every outfit!!! I think this girl is sublime but her hair could have been better, more edgy, less romantic. Would have helped the dress. No ?

Rose Byrne – Yeah, so I just dont’ know if I like it or not. Black hole. With sequins.

Angelina Jolie – I feel like at the last second, she got scared her dress was too black. Or that we would forget that she has a body. And legs (the leg?) of a goddess. So she did the weirdest pose that ruined everything… And made the buzz. Her leg started a Twitter account it was just so present around her. Other than that, it was pretty cute, right?

I do want to say a word to whomever took over the body of Cameron Diaz, please give her back, her and her hair.
And I think Rooney Mara could definitely be my best friend seeing as unorganized she is. I’ve heard she picked out her dress the morning of the ceremony. A fitting? What does that mean?
And J.Lo in her statue dress would make the perfect couple with the Oscar statue.

And finally! Congratulations to Jean Dujardin who besides making a clean sweep this year, seems to make the perfect couple with Alexandra Lamy.

And finally 2: For me, the most important is that the woman looks beautiful. If the first thing you think is “look how beautiful she is!!!” and not “What a great look!” you’ve already won a lot of points in my book.

So as you can see, I still have a lot to learn before becoming Joan Rivers. What did you all think of the red carpet? Who caught your eye? What did you think of the cape? And Rose Byrne?

Like you, none of the actresses this year really wowed me. Last year, there was Cate Blanchett (my favorite, too) in Givenchy, a few years before there was Michelle Williams in that canary yellow Vera Wang, the year before that there was Cate (again!) in the soft yellow Valentino. This year, they were all… meh. It was all very predictable. There was nothing new, no one took real risks and there were very few pops color.

The biggest risk-taker was Gwyneth with her cape and given that it was super sleek (like the rest of her outfit) and white it still wasn’t that BIG of a risk.

Frankly, the Oscars are a boring show. It is awfully long, nothing exciting happens, it is predictable. In terms of fashion, I like Jean Dujardin’s Lanvin dinner jacket & somehow I liked Beckham’s Dior dinner jacket. However, there was a distinctive lack of inspiring fashion. Everything was too much “old lady in a grand dress” – even some of Alber Elbaz’s most fabulous Lanvin dresses looked boring (perhaps they were badly accessorised & ended up looking over the top). I would have loved to see some fun fashion – where were the rock-star Balmains? the avant-garde Balenciagas? the colourful Missonis? the (necessarily vintage) extravagant Lacroix? the outrageous McQueen?

Totally agree with you Garance:
- the cape thing just wasn’t nice. She didn’t look ‘belle’ in it.
- Natalie Portman’s dress was boring.
- loved Angelina’s dress, but what was with all the stiff, weird leg posing?
- I did like Michelle William’s dress, but that clutch was annoying (clutch are pointless things generally)
- Rose Byrne looked a bit strange and miserable, the dress was a bit short, and the shoes a bit slutty.

Garance, you put a lot into words that I was thinking (Jolie’s weird pose sticking her leg out – clearly she wants you to know she has a great figure – as if we didn’t know already). About Rose Byrne – I loved how she looked. Photographs did not do her gown justice. When she moved and you could see how the dress moved with her – superb back – you could really see how chic and glamourous she is. Her hair just looked perfect on her. Not a stand out “look at me” color – just black, sequinned – a beautiful and individual woman.

Glenn Close, Penelope Cruz, Gwyneth and Emma Stone were my favorites. Hated JLo, Angelina (so tired of her smugness!), Viola Davis and her ill-fitted bosom, and while it pains me to say it because I adore her…Melissa McCarthy.

Give me Tilda Swinton on a red carpet any day. Or Cate. Or even Nicole Kidman who has worn some of my most memorable Oscar looks.

I’ve never been too big of a fan of the Oscars’ red carpet. I think since all I keep seeing on the web is catwalk after catwalk with incredible new fashion, it makes the Oscars seem like an outdated Prom night!? no? just sayin’

The few looks I did see, I wasn’t truly satisfied with. While some of the dresses seemed to work for the people (Gwyneth, J-Lo and some others) their hair was very old-school prom-like.

I think that overall the looks are a bit out dated except for some who strive to have that “old hollywood” look. I mean, after all that’s kinda’ what the whole event is about no?

I think Rose’s dress failed. It made her look frail and she kind of disappeared between everyone else. But that is just my opinion! :) I however loved Gwyneth’s cape. I felt it was unexpected and prevented her simple dress from being to unimaginative and boring. I can’t choose between her simplicity and Michelle’s femininity. Those have to be my favourite!

Where was Charlize Theron – she always looks like a movie star should.
Anyway, those long gowns however nice or not are only for awards shows.
Most of them you couldn’t wear again as a cocktail dress don’t you think?

I looooove this illustration. Not quite sure why I was so drawn to this one. The girl looks so self assured and the pop of color is enchanting.

The red carpet was a little boring but I did love Gwyneth in the Tom Ford cape and dress. She looked modern and fresh. Shailene Woodly choice of the Valentino Couture dress was refreshing and different.

It’s so true, this Oscarical year is a total disappointment. But you forgot something my dear Garance:

This year, it not the dress that makes the woman but the gossips her relationship can generate. This year, the celebrities didn’t have the time (the heart?) to picking up the perfect look. Too many things happened around them. Et v’lan! A l’année prochaine !!

But as you kindly mentioned, thank god we had Jean Dujardin and Alexandra Lamy to brighten the horizon… Ouf, on est sauvé alors !

i totally agree with all your thoughts, spot on! overall, nothing too exciting or inspiring… i know this isn’t the met gala, but still. cate is always my favorite too! michelle w is a little too cute, though i love her, and yes so could’ve gone without the bow belt. i was disappointed in the tom ford gwyneth. i liked angelina’s dress but her weird leg thing ruined it! i did think glenn close, viola davis, and penelope cruz looked great though i didn’t really care for their dresses. and yes, what was with cameron diaz and her hair?! i wanted to like rooney mara’s more, though i think if she looked more relaxed/happy, she would’ve shined more in it!

I watched both the Cesars and the Oscars. Even though the Cesars is on a smaller scale I really like the look of the womens gowns (i.e shorter dresses /even pantsuits).

Angelina Jolie puzzles me. Its either she appears in interviews etc (eg. Le Grand Journal 2 weeks ago) seeming quite icy…. OR she is trying to seduce…well….everybody. There is no middle ground with that one!

At the Oscars: For me Michelle Williams had the ultimate look.
At both ceremonies..I love Alexandra Lamy’s face. She has the genuine look of a teenager who can’t believe all this is happening. Yet super classy at the same time.

Very old school glamour really well executed. I think its okay to be just beautiful and to take the audience’s breath away and these two ladies looked just so stunning.

1. Penelope Cruz
2. Milla Jovovich

The following I didnt fancy:
1. Viola Davis- Her dress was a terrible shade of green and really clashed with her hair colour.
2. Natalie Portman- It was a bit too ladybug for my liking and the bodice of the dress was too large.
3. Shailene Woodley- She looked like a grandma in that long white dress, she should have swopped her dress with Natalie Portman!

p/s: Rooney Mara was gorgeous as usual and I think Gwyneth looked alot better after she took off her cape- then she looked like her beautiful, sleek, minimalist self.

Aaah, I was hoping you would write about the Oscars! Really like your feedback, and I totally agree with you on the little-bow-on-dresses thing (Michelle Williams). It instantly makes every dress look cheap. I once went wedding dress shopping, and the bows are everywhere. Hate it.

I absolutely didn’t like Cameron Diaz in her nude dress, the upper part looked so weird… As if she were fat! And we all know she isn’t. Did you see her in the orange Victoria Beckham dress at the afterparty though? I loved that one. Also for it being orange, instead of red (red red red, why did everyone wear red?!).

Michelle Williams dress was so beautiful and I’m glad you agree about the clutch and bow pin. I was starting to think I’m the only person who think that ruined her look. Rose Byrne, eh, not doing anything for me. I think Tom Ford knocked it out of the park with the cape. Capes are “so in” for streetwear and this was the chic-est cape I’ve ever seen. I was so excited though when she took it off indoor and then you could see the shoulders of the dress, since it’s not a 1 shoulder dress and it has shoulder caps. I think people forgot that styling is a head-to-toe experience, not just a pretty dress.

ahah I loved this post! Not because I like the oscars, but more because you perfectly expressed what I think of the red carpet dress thing…

Yesterday morning my colleague Anouk arrived and said to me:
A: “so you stayed up all night?”
ME: “uhhmmm… no?”
A: “NO??? THE OSCARS!!!”
ME: “and…?”
A: “for God’s sake, don’t you have a fashion blog???”
ME: “uhmmm… yes… ?”
A: “I thought you would analyse dress by dress to report it there! I LOVE the oscars, I LOVE the gowns!! Don’t you love it too?”
ME: “…”

I’m more of a RTW girl. Definitely.

And sorry for this stupid long comment but I almost freaked out yesterday thinking that probably it’s not that cool thinking that oscar gowns are not cool and therefore I’m totally not cool in return, but you really relieved me from this burden… Now I know it’s OK ahah

BTW Rooney Mara and her dress were the best.
And I liked Gwyneth, it was like light was irradiating from within her.
And I love Cate Blanchett! (last year in that Givenchy gown!!! She was superbe!! Yes, I’ve got a Givenchy couture secret love).
But my superfavourite is still my beloved Kate Winslet (not her dresses, but really her). For her body (very similar to mine, she gives me so much confidence!) and her intelligence and her attitude… I love her!

I’m not sure “cool” is really a word one would associate with the Oscars! But, for whatever it’s worth, this is my take on the outfits:

Gwyneth looked amazing. Perfect hair, makeup and accessories and the dress was fantastic and so different with the cape.

Milla was rocking perfect old-school Hollywood glamour.

Meryl Streep’s dress was too shiny and too drape-y and too baggy, but still miles better than what she normally wears to award shows. (I love you Meryl, but please call Helen Mirren’s stylist next time, okay?)

Angelina was actually smiling for once so she looked fabulous. And she’s no fool – she got more media than probably anyone else, just by striking a pose.

Octavia Spencer – a masterclass for dressing a larger lady, she looked fabulous. Melissa McCarthy (and I hate to say this because she’s awesome) should have used the same stylist, because her dress was horribly unflattering.

I hate to say anything negative about Sandra Bullock, but that was not a good dress for her.

Natalie Portman – loved her hair and makeup, but polkadots do not belong at the Oscars. And I’ve heard that she had her choice of the entire Dior vintage archive and picked this? Why???

Jessica Chastain – the dress was just too much for her. Someone older and taller like Nicole Kidman or Charlize Theron could have pulled it off, but it just wasn’t right on her.

And I loved Rose Byrne’s dress – super slinky and different enough to stand out, but I thought her hair was too “office”, a really messy, rock’n'roll up-do would have been better with that dress.

Finally! I do not feel alone. I have never understood any of it. Gowns? Forced hair, jewels, too much skin?…. The commentators make it worse. One year an actress from the UK wore a Paul smith tux and she looked fantastic. Usually Tilda Swinton can make some sense of it but alas, not there this year. Thanks to giving voice to something baffling me for decades.

this was a particularly dull year; too much white/cream/blush nothingness. The best of a bad bunch were Jessica Chastain for the glamour, Rooney Mara for the shape and confounding the expectation that she would wear black and Viola Davis for the shape and the colour (extra points for the shocking pink that she wore to the pre-party). Next year more colour, more glamour, more joy please

what about Meryl Streep? talk about a beautiful woman, who knows how to stay elegant… and I’m not talking about her Lanvin, but her attitude!
because, after all, I think that the elegance is inside the people and not in their clothes.

I loved Rooney’s dress and thought Rose really pulled off that look, Michelle looked adorable, which she does so well as it seems to be her natural self. My favorite however, was Gwyneth, my jaw dropped at her goddess like perfection and simplicity. I loved that she had the courage to just let her natural beauty be the star of the show – so elegant!
Natalie’s dress did her no favors and I agree with another post that said that Angelina’s dress looked as heavy as a theatre curtain and the leg? To me it just looked she couldn’t help herself from showing everyone that she is sexy, “LOOK AT MEEEEEE, I AM SOOOO SEXYYYYYY” neither becoming or necessary for such a beautiful woman.
Meryl, one of the greats, has never been about the fashion but her artistic genius is formidable.
Lastly, huge congratulations to Jean, he was as wonderful in “The Artist” as he is gorgeous! Also, I so loved that such a simple, touching movie won rather than some big piece of #$%* that, it pains me to say it, my country’s movie business usually puts in front of us. The worst part of that is that I don’t think we lack the sensitivity or creativity to make a movie like The Artist, it’s that it would never be financed! AHHHHH!

Bérénice Bejo was the most lovely for my eye, and I thought she was the only one to mix the cool and the glamor well. I have to tell you how Joan Rivers really disappointed me, she hated Bejo’s look, she loved cameron diaz, and didn’t mention j.lo’s disaster. So continue on this path, Garance, it is far from the Rivers’ and much more thoughtful!

I could not agree more – where is the cool? And you just succinctly verbalized my “look” goal: the air of comfort in anything (that is without wearing sweatpants all the time ;-). I absolutely <3 your blog and your films Garance! Julie

Well… I am not going to repeat everything that has been said in the comments above. I just have to say thet I am not impressed with the cape, really…
Ant the Jessica Chastain dress.. Omg, that dress was ruined. That dress had such a potential, but she decided to go all pale and modest and insecure… Oh, how I love that dress, but…

I think Gwyneth always looks super chic, but this cape and column dress ensemble seems like an homage to Princess Leia’s formal wear at the end of the first Star Wars movie – she even has the same pose!

Well said…no one really blew me away. There were some great moments but overall a disappointing red carpet. I did love Gwyneth b/c at least she took a risk. Here is my overall take on the night…enjoy.
xo
E

I totally agree that the Oscars this year were a bit lacking. With the worlds wardrobe at their fingertips why do they always go back to the Hollywood glamour of the 1950s! I though Paltrow’s dress was nice in its simplicity (maybe too simple for the OSCARS!), I would have liked to see it without the cape. The Oscars is the one occasion that an actress can get away with something wild and extravagant, taking risks. And there seemed to be a trend of dressing like the statue which I think is a bit odd.
x

There is one big omission from this list for best dressed which is my dear friend Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy who won an Oscar that evening for her documentary “Saving Face” about acid burn victims in Pakistan. She was beautiful, elegant, well dressed, and commanded the room’s attention during her speech. She needs to be everyone’s best dressed and one to watch list: http://natashafatah.blogspot.com/2012/02/academy-awards-sharmeen-obaid-chinoy.html

I can’t believe I am going to comment on the Oscar dresses.. but now that you asked my opinion, I will say this: wearing a red dress on a red carpet makes you disappear/look like you are wearing the carpet. When was that ever cool? And I agree of course: Gwyneth Paltrow took this game to a whole new level, effortlessly cool, as always.

Other than that, I think a few of them (that shall remain nameless) displayed scary signs of eating disorders, and that is never pretty/cool/fashionable. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Nah, I can’t really get exited about trains and diamonds and red carpet looks either. I love watching your street shots so much more.

Honestly, I think you’re way too nice! I barely liked anything! And when I say barely I mean one dress, and that’s Gwyneth’s, and even then the cape isn’t really doing it for me. How hard can it be, with such great stylists out there, to get it so wrong on the red carpet? That said, you’ve opened my mind and suddenly the abomination I saw first time round is now just a slight disappointment.
Let’s hope for an improvement next year M X
P.S Beautiful illustration!

The dresses this year were less than amazing. I usually like at least half of them, but for some reason they didn’t do it for me this year. The exceptions – I thought Gwyneth was stunning! I also thought Kristen Wiig looked beautiful. When I first saw her, I thought she looked a little boring and a little like what Gwyneth did in a previous year in a Zac Posen. However, the more I looked at her, the more I thought how comfortable and “her” she looked – and that’s hard to do in a floor length gown. The highlight of the “awards season” for me was the jumpsuit Rose Byrne wore to the SAG awards.

I thought Shailene Woodley (whoever she is) looked the best. She didn´t try too much, which looks fresh and confident. Paltrow was unusually well put together, in my opinion. As far as the rest go, I agree with you.

Dear Garance,
You are spot on in your observations. The Oscar awards evening have become formulaic in recent years in what the stars wear. (And the programming painfully long….) Is it because the stylists who dress them have become mainstream in their approach?
K~

As for the Oscar telecast, it was the first one in a long time that kept me engaged. I loved the ode to old Hollywood, I thought it moved swiftly and perfectly. No weird speeches, just humility and thankfulness.

As for Oscar dressing…

Loved:

-Gwyneth, cape and all
-JLO, for looking like a statuette and not being afraid to show off her curves. Gorgeous!
-Milla was Old Hollywood glamour perfected
-Angelina, stunning when she walked out on stage, not while she was posing
- Mara Rooney looked great
-Emma Stone looked ravishing in red and pulled off the bow

Not Loved:

- Meryl – too much shine and drape, but much better than past Oscars
- Viola – cheap green color, too much breast smashing and please stop matching eye
shadow to dress!!!!
- Cast of Bridesmaids should have all had the same dress. That would have been fun!
- Cameron – missing her typical flair and the hair looked somewhat Soccer Mom
- Agree with all of the other comments re: Penelope, Michelle and Natalie

These are my thoughts exactly, I never find long dresses, overdone hair and makeup attractive, I thought it was only me since everybody seems to like fairytale like dresses.
These are all beautiful women, they have access to all the best designers and even then why am I not impressed?

I dislike acting as the fashion police just as much as you, Garance, but I agree: Oscar fashion was pretty boring. Where’s Björk wearing a swan when you need her? Rose Byre was particularly disappointing, wearing Westwood, wasn’t she? Given her form, Octavia Spencer was perfect, though. Take care!

I felt the same Garance-Nothing!
I did not like any of the dresses that I saw. I do not expect to
see anything interesting anyway from that night. I much prefer
street photos from fashion weeks.
And yes I agree with you:bring Cameron Diaz back!
Bisous

I think you are spot on with this post! I felt the exact same way! No one looked terrible but then again, no one made me say “wow!”. I actually thought that everyone looked much better after changing for the Vanity Fair after-party. The dresses were much cooler and more daring!

I have a girl crush on Rooney Mara, I loved her look, plus she had no jewelry on! I totally agree with you on Angelina Jolie, she looked good but she should have let the slit be, let it skim around her legs naturally, instead of those weird poses.
I did not like Natalie Portman’s look; and J.Lo looked like J.Lo…*shrug*
I don’t get the gown thing too, but just yesterday I thought about it and came to the conclusion that one has to be in the world of “red-carpets and gowns” to really understand it, and get their definition of gown-cool.

I liked Penelope Cruz. I think her look, although old Hollywood, truly matches her personality. I often think that when stylists dress these actresses and give them a “style” that does not “match” their personalities even the best dress can look weird. In Penelope’s case, I think her look only emphasized how she feels and acts, so it complemented her. But, yes, I agree, nothing “wowed” me this year…
xo,
Susanahttp://www.akeytothearmoire.com

Milla: please get rid of the botox, it’s bad for your expression… or your no-expression…..
Angelina: you really allowed your leg to sneak out or she was just being rebel? looks like that leg has a personality of her own
Jessica Ch: where is that dress carrying that woman? the dress is pretty but she gets lost inside it!
Rooney: girl, those bangs, really??? again???
J.lo: that’s the example of “trying too hard”

I’m absolutely with you, I felt nothing at all.. also with the winners and the gala in general. Nothing new, a bit boring and same as always. There has to be another way to do the oscars.. they have to find it out.

Stacey Keebler looked FABULOUS. The gown had strength, I loved the large bow on her hip, the color was lush and perfect for her, A N D her accessory was GEORGE! Who else can compete with that?

I agree, Penelope looked smashing like Milla.
I thought Viola’s rich jade green dress looked beautiful. She needed more support, though, agreed.
Gwyneth was smart to have a cape – many people discussed the chill and she had her arms covered! She radiated with Tom Ford.
The Woodley girl from The Descendants needs to hire a Stylist! Her dress was Puritanical and she’s a teen-ager!
Meryl Streep could also use a Stylist to assist her as she has in her film roles. She has a body but one would never know it when she accepts awards! LOVE her work, love her attitude and her grace, but not her fashion sense.
Octavia is the plus-size to admire! Others in that category needs to take note.

There were no standouts that I was crazy about, though I did like Michelle Williams’ dress, mostly because the color was so cheery and she looked at ease and pretty. Rose Byrne’s was a disappointment for sure. I like Natalie’s though…it is a little princessy and prim, but I guess part of me still like’s that!

Cuteness kills cuteness, could not have said it better myself, except maybe “All bows must die”..just a thought:0
Really nothing has topped Michelle in that KILLER yellow dress years ago. Was it Vera Wang or am I imagining things? As for this year, I think Rooney and Kate Bosworth (although when doesn’t this woman look amazing) rocked the red carpet, everyone else should get an ‘F’ for ‘effort’.
And Milla has always been old school all the way, she’s not even attempting dress up here (hence the once Jovovich-Hawk) I mean have you seen her playing the banjo? it makes for pretty awesome viewing.

Please Garance, don’t ever ever become a Joan Rivers. That would be a terrible loss for the world.
Now, you couldn’t have worded the whole thing better. Such a bore.. year after year and it is always the same..cool is an adjective that does not apply . Too bad that Tilda wasn’t attending… she is usually the only one that will catch your eye..

Firstly, love your site, your photos, your illustrations. Just fantastic.
It’s refreshing and entertaining to see the American culture through the eyes of a witty French woman.

Having said that, this entry on the Oscars seemed to fall a bit off the page for me. Usually your commentary is so wonderfully constructed and brings out the quirks/beauties of cultural uniqueness. But I felt this one was… not quite on target.

This was a bit concerning in that… the Oscars is about honoring Hollywood and the rich traditions of its history. I really hope that people realize that the Oscars is not mainly about the red carpet and that it’s not some ‘show’ to simply entertain the viewers at home. At the end of the night, it’s about showcasing the amazing work these people have done.

As much as the fashion comments were great (as this is a fashion blog), they overstepped some boundaries in implying the Oscars were so-and-so because the dresses were uninspired. The Oscars are not (only) about the dresses. It’s a classic tradition. It’s an honor. Not about wearing the craziest thing, the craziest cut, the craziest print. Not about shock-and-awe. That’s what fashion week’s for.

my favorite four were:
shailene woodley (so not an oscar dress and so covered up, not trying too hard but lovely on her tall lanky-ness, loved it!),
gwyneth (i’m a tom ford lover and she can wear anything she wants and be stunning), rose byrne (because she was different and that is awesome),
octavia spencer (she just fit right into the proportions of that dress perfectly and looked radiant).

and honorable mentions to emma stone (because that dress would have flat out killed most people, and she wore red on the red carpet, and she’s a redhead at present, and that’s all very cool) and judy greer (it was all so weird with the sparkle and the sporty center stripe, but kind of my idea of a modern oscar dress).

i think there’s been so much rapid change in the world that the oscar dress dictums haven’t been able to catch up. old hollywood is just too darn old to mimic without any irony, humor, or modernity.

I have to say Gwyneth pulled off the Tom Ford dress and matching cape! It was a stunning outfit and she looked effortlessy chic in it! Got to agree with you on AJ and that thigh flash! Not very chic! She has succumbed to too much weight loss and is not looking at her best now. Such a pity! There were certainly very few that looked beautiful!

I, like you, hate the whole long gowns thing. It reminds me of the proms, something I completely don’t understand – why do they exist???
However, there is one person that always manages to preserve her coolness even wearing a long dress – Tilda Swinton. She picks the coolest dresses, always looks different, and there is this aura of non-conformism around her. I love her.

well, the “show” on the red carpet was definitely & complitely boring… in my opinion, gwyneth was absolutely no.1, and i love the cape. that dress would have been boring without it. then i liked rooney mara, anne-sophie bion, michelle williams & e.spalding. ah, and colin firth’s & j.juardin’s wives. angelina’s leg was a horror of the show, everything else just boring. but there’re also other 2 categories for me:
1. beautiful dress & ordinary look —> jessica chastain
2. kind of ordinary dress but great look at the same time —> stacy keibler
rose byrne… seems not sure same as you ;)

It’s funny – I didn’t think anything of the cape. The interview with Gwyneth that I saw on the red carpet was as follows: “So, I see you’re wearing a cape. It’s quite cold here, isn’t it? People at home can’t tell that.” I don’t know…maybe she was cold. Otherwise her look was my favourite, after Michelle Williams. But I’m a Michelle Williams fan. That said, my favourite look of MW was the yellow one from a few years ago. Otherwise, Penelope Cruise’s blue was lovely. PS I love that Meryl Streep from the head down always looks as frumpy as can be – a total “fashion just isn’t my thing and I’m down with that!” PPS I found Angelina Jolie’s show sad. I don’t find her sexy anymore, now that she is so gaunt.

The outfits were not fantastic or cool….and they never really are at the Oscars unfortunately:(
LOVE Cate Blanchett too!
I’ve never really seen the appeal of the evening gown either…lucky there’s a few great girls who always get it just right.
Rose x

Garance, Joan Rivers is tragic! I always wonder what’s going on with women who feel the need to pick apart and put down every single detail of another woman’s appearance. I liked that Rooney and Michelle’s looks felt the most non-oscarish of the night (and Kristen Wiig, but I always love her because she’s HI-LAR-I-OUS). I can’t handle big hair and MASSIVE jewelry.

I absolutely agree – i checked the Oscars on style.com – all the dresses are disgusting – and that they parade them out in daylight as well … hideous. Hollywood is very outdated in terms of style and it is never more apparent than at the Oscars

ok I didn’t like Rose Burns dress at all, it just wasn;t something special. But I LOVED Jessica Chastain she was beyond words, loved he dress and the hair were soft and natural. Angelina was A weirdo I have to say! Like WTF with that leg? who told her to pose like something is wrong with her? and after she done it to the red carpet then she did AGAIN when presenting… I mean??? The dress though was great! The cape of Gwyneth, mmmm, not my favorite but it’s ok!

I think best dressed was Rooney Mara with Givenchy… edgy, cool and she is always reall cute.

This year I think Michelle Williams was best dressed. I agree Cate is mostly brilliant, and I think Michelle Williams normally always looks great. But my favorite would be Sofia Coppola. She gets elegance and cool, that less is more, more than any other.

Hi Garance, I am inspired by you commenting on this. Somehow for me it was shocking to notice how generally blah- bad the style was at the Oscars this year. I thought Berenice looked radiant and I like how Meryl is just so Meryl whatever she wears but I may just be bias there because I think Meryl is wonderful anyway. I noticed someone on a news programme comment on who they thought tended to dress the worst (this was before the actual day of the ceremony) and she said Helena bonham Carter and I thought to myself – well Helena is pretty much the only one who doesn’t pander to what everyone else thinks is oscar worthy. i admire her for integrity. Otherwise it’d just be yawn yawn yawn every year… well not completely but this year pretty much! I hope Bjork makes a movie sometime soon and it get nominated ; )

I thought that everybody is choosing their cloths after the Pantone code this year. What was with that? Even Angelina’s lipstick was Tangerine Tango-ish, like this year’s colour.I am also confused about the cape…I think the dress would have been fine without it.

The other night I had a dream and you were in it! I thought how odd (and lovely) that you could visit my dreams. I quickly realized that watching “Pardon My French” before bed could result in unexpected, but welcome visitors. Thank you for stopping by.

Normally I agree with you on almost everything, but I have to say, I think Cameron Diaz has a rockin body! I applaud women who are athletic and muscular and can go against the norm of what society expects of women. They want us all to be skinny with no muscles! No thank you! Strong women represent!!!

As a personal shopper I know a thing or two about special occasions. So here are my thoughts:

Natalie Portman: dress worked well for her but I agree with you – accessories were mess:)
Gwyneth Paltrow: couldn’t decide about the cape either but the whole look was such a perfection…For me she was the best dressed that night.
Mila Jovovitch – way too white. Some contrast would have helped. But still I love it.
Rose Byrne – Love it but her shoes… Platform was wrong… So was the clutch with jewels.
Angelina looked a little vulgar with that pose… The dress itself was great but black made her look thinner so definitely did not work for her
Rooney Mara looked just wrong… It’s sorta case when a dress doesn’t match a wearer at all. Way too white for her…
JLo played it safe and looked gorgeous. When you’re competing with a good hundred of other gowns this dress is definitely won’t let you stay our of the crowd.

My major disappointment however was Meryl Streep’s dress. It’s gotten even further when I realised she wore Lanvin… Didn’t work for her at all.

I liked Rose Byrne’s look. I think her hair and the dress gave off a very cool sort of European club-ish vibe that stood out to me, at least against all the other girls pictured here. The old Hollywood thing is getting boring.

Boring indeed. Who wants to look at people with unkempt hair, looking as though they’d borrowed clothes from their mothers’ closets? Why do we lavish praise on people who need stylists to dress them? I’d rather look at a girl who looks great in clothes she bought herself, and on a tight budget.

I absolutely adored Rose Byrne’s look. I thought she looked chic and elegant even though I was not a fan of her shoe choice. Gwyneth looked striking in her cape and sleek dress. No one looked cool per se but many looked beautiful. Overall I enjoyed it.

Wow, I feel like people are talking a lot more about the Oscars fashion choices than usually.

I personally loved loved loved GP’s outfit. Simply genius! I’m not a Angelina Jolie fan, but she looked stunning on the red carpet. And I somehow like the leg as well. It’s unexpected and she looks so hot.

I also thought Penelope Cruz was okay, as well as Milla Jovovich (but all sequins is not my thing really).

I loved Paltrow’s cape. She always looks minimal yet polished, and she wears it with such ease as you said. I thought another winner was Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive. She looked effortless in a very different way. I agree that Byrne’s dress was a bit short and too sequin-y and I don’t care for the open-toed shoes with it, either. I liked the McQueen dress, but Chastain didn’t pull it off, maybe it was the hair? I don’t know. It seemed to swallow her.

Fair comments but for this kind of events, they have to look the part. long dresses are what they are supposed to wear to be part of the scene. the oscars is an event that shouts out all there is about Hollywood – a culture of exaggeration and dramatisation, and long dresses represent that. on the red carpet, its about representing the culture rather than yourself; it’s about looking glamorous not ‘cool’. Like the NME awards, long dresses wouldn’t work – people wear their ‘musician outfits’ to represent that particular culture. there are exceptions for sure but the majority do submit themselves to the culture after all.

I think Rooney Mara looked really beautiful AND COOL! She was the best, and Octavia Spencer, who showed us that a BIG woman can look great when she gets the right dress. Milla Jovovich is always stunning, but a bit too beautiful and boring… Angelina looks like she is starving, as does Gwyneth in her Star Trek cape… Jessica Chastain is wonderful but the dress was in the wrong size for her, and a redhead in green??? Daa?
Jean Dujardin was the most handsome of all the guys, like over the top handsome, and Brad gets better every year. George Clooney’s girlfriend was the best accessoar of the evening! :D

i adore Meryl, but why does she always dress like a frump. It’s always the gathered low V neckline and gathered waistline. way too old fashioned and boring. and long gown events usually always bore me to sobs with their styles.

Well, I am such a fan of movies and look forward every year (since I was a child) to watch the celebration of cinema. Every year I love it. Every year I turn into a giddy girl and watch the entire show with little interuption with a big grin on my face, and I always laugh and cry and gush. And it seems every year I wake up the next morning to find people hating the show and complaining about the dresses. I think I am so happy to watch, I filter out critism? I don’t know.
I do watch the preshows to see how the stars look, but have to admit- I think the surge of stylists have made things WAY more boring. Very few dress for themselves lately, and the artist in them seems stifled (if there’s an artist in them in all..). Great fashion emits from originality.
All that said, I think Penelope Cruz looked fantastic.

I felt the same way…But I think the Oscar Red Carpet fashion reflects what is going on with the films nominated this year…Most the of films are pretty boring. Why wasn’t SHAME or DRIVE nominated for something? My theory is if the films on the OScar slate were a bit more worthy and interesting than the red carpet style would follow in suit… I mean, come on, the Harve as in Weinstein is directing the whole Oscar parade and let just say his taste in women or fashion is pretty boring in itself…BORING….

omg rose byrne got skeletal in her quest to be fashionista and she was already so pretty and pettie,she dosent look to happy thesse days or maybe that just her new pose? she reminds me of victoria beckham now,who albiet styley looks unhealthy and unhappy, very muchneeds a new un pouty pose

It’s easy to look polished and perfect when you pay an army of people to do just that. It’s like the difference between “The descendants” ( and I am still in love with George Clooney!) and “The artist”: one is eternally cool edgy forward and different from the crowd and the other is high financed interesting but predictable. Don’t get me wrong I did love both movies but I would rather be fabulous and clash and well-groomed and interesting on my own terms and my own budget every day of the year instead of some designer/stylist/publicists’ poster child. (Most!) women on the street get it right more often than movie stars during award season.

It is a little late to read this, but ( and wow,lots of comments) yes I completely agree. Rooney Mara is the only one who come close to being her usual cool self, even then I feel something is a little lost. I suspect they all fear the commentary, as Angelina well should, doing that completely contrived thing (relax, the world is yours!)

Occasionally I love Charlize Theron for her red carpet bravery. And yes, Cameron Diaz was once one to look out for, not so much any more. The younger girls need to start marching to the beat of their own drum and get 80′s hair and jewelry off the carpet.

Well said Garance. Thank you, always, for giving a gentle and delicate glimpse into an often harsh industry. Merci Merci!